October 31, 2013

I don't know if you've noticed, but my Pins have been dropping. My Things I Love Thursday feature has been not-so-robust. I spoke with Pinterest support a few times and honestly, they really couldn't explain why, after a few months, photos wouldn't link from the blog anymore. I am trying this differently now, in the hopes that the photos stay put, along with their appropriate sources.

1. OMG plaid, you have my heart. Since my 10th grade GAP dress. I literally sucked wind when I saw this outfit and vowed immediately to recreate it. Gorgeous.

2. Listen, yo. I have small boobs. I love small boobs. It's a personal preference. Vicky's says they are a C, but... I dunno. They are a tiny C. But here's the thing: I love them exactly that size and so does my Jedi. I am in the market (don't tell Vicky) for new bras this Christmas season and I LOVE this one.

3. One of our girls may have a new project come Christmas. These pot holders are darling and such good practice at hand stitching!

6. Ascot Friday, I love your style. And I am so jelly of those thighs, Girl.

7. LOVE this, head to toe.

8. Here's the thing I've learned as I've gotten older. Just... be yourself. Find your style and live in it. Breathe in it. Make everything you have to wear into something you can wear and still be you. Don't leave the house without feeling great in your skin.

9. I'mma tell y'all a secret. This gluten free, Paleo thing? It's worth every crumb of bread I cannot eat. Mom, my hip bones are back. My butt looks like I don't have 3 children. I want to be naked allatime now (Jedi is appreciative). If I find a Pilates class, look the heck out! I feel better than I have in 20 years and I know I look better, too. Even my skin is different, Peeps. Jedi and I have a beach vacay comin'. Look out.

October 28, 2013

What, you don't put on tattoo sleeves and flex at yourself in the window? [No backyard neighbors, Peeps.]

This one was cuddly.

This one is finally big enough to fix her own hair and thinks its a lot of fun to practice for HOURS on weekend mornings.

And, this one finished football last week with another win. He's such a great player. I can't wait to see where this sport takes him and I pray that God will find a way to work that out for Trev.

Oh, and one more very important thing happened this past week: the first [2 hour, highly chaperoned] school dance! I was a little emotional, honestly. He promised no peer pressure or smoking or drinking or meeting up for naughty tricks. He hugged on me and said, "Don't go getting mushy on me, Mom." Uh huh. Who is this kid who suddenly comes up to my EYES? I'm 5'10", People. My son is a giant.

When I asked him to smile so I could take a picture before he left, this is the pose he made.

And then this one.

And then this one.

Turkey.

Awww. There's my boy.

And - he invited a girl who said yes, but didn't show. But do you think for one second he was disappointed? No. He danced with 5 other girls instead. Killeh.

And Dear B: We had a kick ass weekend. I love you at least twenty times more than I did last Monday. I am constantly - CONSTANTLY amazed and blessed by you. You are exactly what God meant for my heart. Smooch. PS: Your beard and chest hair make my skirt fly up. It's a problem in public.

October 25, 2013

New gluten free breakfast fave: Chobani vanilla yogurt with
seeds and nuts mixed in, along with crushed, fresh blackberries and dates.
Excellent, though I need to remember to bring a little bear of honey to work
with me. Just for a drop of amazingness. This would also be a Paleo breakfast,
if you are okay eating dairy like me.

Recently I went grocery shopping with our girls. They both
loved helping dispense the bulk items in the healthfood section of the store:
flax meal, sunflower seeds, almonds, dried banana chips, and so forth. Hayley
got on her hands and knees with me and went through all of the spaghetti sauces
until we found one that was both gluten free AND made without onions. That was
a task, let me tell you. But we did it! That evening we made seared chicken with herbs, and roasted vegetables
(zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and peppers) in apple cider vinegar and oil. It
was a great meal and the girls were excited that they'd helped.

We tried Gevalia coffee this week because Hayley caught a
coupon during our grocery trip (she is very into couponing). It’s yummy.
Starbucks Blonde is my favorite, but most of the time I’m not willing to shell
out the $12 for it.

So the concert? Yeah… it was AH-mazing. We left early
enough to stop and eat dinner first this time. [By the way, Famous Dave’s is
very firmly NOT gluten-free. While I did not get sick, I had 2 choices on the
menu: chicken wings with no sauce and corn. Everything has a rub containing
gluten or is injected with gluten-laced flavoring. The manager wasn't kind either. Pfft.] I wore my vintage
sunglasses and cowboy boots and absolutely no bra. It was fabulous and freeing.
Our favorite tickets are in the pit and these were no disappointment. Dierks
was a mere 6 feet away. Any man who can croon in a gravelly voice and wear a
white tee shirt and backwards baseball hat is a Jedi in my book.

Miranda was
also great but what I loved even more is how she doesn’t tolerate jack; she
broke up two fights from the stage [we’re rowdy here, y’all] and kicked them
out. It was awesome! More awesome was my forever boyfriend who held my hand
almost all night long.

I noticed this morning that Mabel still wakes up with hair
that looks like she slept on her face. She also waddles down the hallway and
into the bathroom (where I am usually showering) and says, “Goot morning,
Mama,” the same way that she did years ago. Bernard St. Pottamus lives. Sassy
Miss Crazy Hair. She has my heart, that one.

And so the 12 year old is already talking about things like
saving up for his first car and car insurance, having a girlfriend, and playing
football throughout high school. I’m so proud of him, so so proud. We picked
him up after practice one night this week and I was in tears as the next 10
years of his life flashed in front of my eyes. More than anything I’m thrilled
that Trevor loves the Lord. That boy belongs to Him and while he absolutely doesn't
know how to navigate being a hormonal brother yet, he is well on his way. So
proud. And I made him promise me as we hugged goodnight in the hallway that
night, that he would NEVER compromise who he is for anything. Always be
yourself, be honest, and be kind. If you are meant to play football, Son, then
play it. If it gets hard, please don’t give up. He is strong and steady and
determined and that boy loves his mama. I am so blessed by Trevor Allen.

Are you praying for your kids’ friends? You should be. God
will surround them with people that are meant to be part of their story. It’s
up to us as parents to invest in that. Pray for good and wholesome experiences
– and by good I do not mean happy; I mean hearty. Thick and full of His
meaning. I pray for all of my littles to be tolerant of everyone, kind to all
friends, but for them to develop special relationships with kids who are happy
and love the Lord. Kids who encourage their spirits and lift them up. I pray
for good influences over tempting ones, and I pray that my kids do their parts
as well. I pray the ‘mean girls’ pack mentality never sticks to Hayley or
Mabel. I pray the boys find strong friends that challenge them but never
compromise their integrity or common sense. This is a new area of parenting and
I think that as our children grow, our prayers should grow with them.

The Kikster has been sicko lately. She had a checkup a few
weeks ago and the vet diagnosed her with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Can you
believe it? She’d been on a digestive health food by Iams her whole life
(remember her crazy, foul tooting?) but it’s not enough anymore, I guess. They prescribed an antibiotic to calm her
tummy and then suggested a switch of food. Well, Kiki wasn’t having it and
boycotted food altogether. She didn’t eat for a few days. The vet told us to go
back to her old food and then gradually move her to something else. That worked
actually, and she ate in earnest for a good week. Then late last week she
stopped eating again. She is svelte now and its making us sad. She's the Kikipottamus, you know... usually tubbier. After consulting two different vets (my favorite telling me to trust my catmama intincts), we gave her some canned food. She's happily eating again!

And Dear B: You are especially wonderful for praying for our cat. God listened and healed her up! Also, thanks for being so deeply involved with the Lord and for standing by my side as I grow in Him, too. You are such a blessing to me.

October 23, 2013

1. This bedroom makes me think of Andrew. Love the hide and the poster, and of course that's a beautiful guitar.

2. If she'd looked like this on Twilight, she'd have looked better than Bella. This hair makes me swoon.

3. LAMP! And that bed is delicious with its vintage headboard and footboard and stacked up quilts. Yum.

4. What a cute little room! Sweeeeet!

5. Oh, Lulu, make me one of these!? The grainsack material is awesome!

6. I recently fell in love with another blog - www.vintagerevivals.com. Go and read for a few hours; you won't be disappointed. Love this photo of hers. That bureau is amazing.

7. The original recipe for these balls is: 2
ripe bananas, 1 c quick oats, 1/2 c chocolate chips, & a heaping spoonful
of peanut butter. mix well, bake at 350 for 15 mins. Oats are not something I eat anymore, so I plan to try this recipe subbing almond flour for the oats and almond butter for the peanut butter.

8. Dear JCrew, again I say always.

9. I love how humongous these prints are.

10. We love kitchens that have two types of cabinetry. I love these white cabinets above and the wood below.

October 17, 2013

2. I pinned this salad before I went Paleo, so I won't be having this exact black bean and quinoa salad - but it is beautiful and looks delicious none the less. A great Paleo sub would be zucchini and peas in this salad!

3. I literally GASPED, People. I love this outfit so much I can hardly stand to look at it. You know those are some old granny's pants. The boots, the bright scarf, and the topknot, too. Wowsers.

7. Now, I think this beautiful girl should smile every now and then, but I love her hair. I think this is sort of what mine would have looked like if I'd taken care of it in high school instead of bleached and permed it. Delicious natural ombre.

10. I love Smitten Studio's home. As in, love. Her gallery wall above the television recently inspired ours. And if I could find a tv cabinet that was both white and wood, I would fall over and cry. So awesome.

11. White blazers are thoroughly underutilized.

12. Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. This is a bomb of color and I love it!

October 16, 2013

Every year, LifeLight is amazing. This is the 3rd LifeLight I've served at with my husband and it is a manner of service that is unlike any other. I'd say watching 100,000 lifting their hands in worship to our King Jesus is about the best thing ever.

Friday started nice and easy. The same stage is erected each year with a sign on top that reads: TO GOD BE THE GLORY. The people start to come, in droves. Thousands by nightfall.

Our company is a major sponsor each year and my husband and I chair the committee for our tent on the grounds. This year, sky blue was the color choice for the shirts. Good eye, Dear. And you look so happy!

The City Harmonic was awesome. "Manifesto" in person was unreal! The kids loved them.

Sunday was the biggest day for us.We were seated on the stage early (yes, I said ON the stage - sponsorship has its perks, you see) to watch the Rhett Walker Band. And oh my.

Oh my! They were unbelievable. Just regular dudes rocking it out for Jesus. They sang a version of "Simple Man" that made my husband cry. Only don't tell him I told you that. There was a feel in their music that shouted the gospel into my bones. They are the real deal. They are there because of the talent God gave them and the courage they have as men to stand and rock out like that. Just, wow.

For King & Country played after RWB and they started with a drum solo on the walkout ramp. The sunflare was killer, no?

These guys were wonderful, and fabulous performers.

Just before the final act on Sunday night - The Newsboys - Bryon and I were asked to go up on stage to help thank our company for nearly a decade of festival support. Bryon could have gone without standing in the spotlight, but he put his hand in mine and we walked right out onto the stage in front of more than 100,000 people. I took the photo below while we waited in the wings to be introduced. You can see the massive mound of people through the split - wow. The air was chilly and the fog machine was rolling. The Newsboys were standing right behind us.

I texted Mindy and squealed. SO excited. I don't get nervous to speak publicly but I was super excited. The owner of our company was pretty stoked, too. He knows how much we love this ministry and it was humbling to see him proud of us. What an amazing honor to be part of festival support - and married to the best partner in service EVER. Bryon has been by my side for years at LifeLight. I wouldn't have it any other way.

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rachelkrutsch

I'm Rachel. I'm married to a rugged Jedi and we raise 4 children in a blended family. Stick around to read about vintage fashion, awesome hair, works of faith, and laugh at how I love to do things the hard way.